Eleanor story, The Disease of More: One Woman’s 25-Year Recovery from Alcohol and Food Addiction provides a testimony to the excesses available in American society, how far a person can push those excesses and yet be redeemed to have a full and affluent life.
Eleanor begins with her past, her family’s history in the Hispanic community. She documents her father’s drink problem. In spite of not wanting to live like her parents, she found herself imitating the less desirable traits her father exhibited. Her personal story includes child-rape-molestation and incest that influenced many of her choices.
Somehow she was able to graduate college and applied for college scholarships which were available to her. She moved across the country to attend school and get away from her problems, but her problems continued as did her drinking and eating.
Eleanor came to the realization that she wasn’t going to finish school unless she got her drinking under control. She started going to AA meetings and found continuous sobriety helpful in her academic and personal life.
Once a lawyer, she obtained a fabulous job in the Bay Area, met her husband and began a great life. Still she was eating at an amazing pace. She found after many years of trying to control her weight. She found that she created issues with her family to cover her over-eating. She found that many similar issues she had with drinking were also applicable to her eating. The only difference being that total abstinence isn’t possible with food. One must eat.
Eleanor found her salvation in a 12-step program for food which helps her remain accountable for her calories. She lost the weight she wanted and now lives a pleasant life with her husband and children.
Eleanor’s story is a contemporary version of the stories found in 12-step books and literature. It shows that if we or a loved one has a problem, there is help available to get whatever the problem, alcohol or food, under control and move on to a full and happy life.
Resources:
Alcoholics Anonymous http://www.aa.org
Food Addict Anonymous http://www.foodaddictsanonymous.org/
Alanon For Family and Friends http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment